This paper focuses on the tradition of ‘‘radical youth work’’ within western democratic societies. It argues that this tradition has been lost within the field of contemporary youth work through the appropriation of youth services by capitalist interests. Utilizing Marxist and post-Marxist analysis, the mechanisms by which capitalism has removed the revolutionary political possibilities of youth-adult collaborations are outlined and their impact on youth work practice delineated. The paper closes with a proposal for the beginnings of an alternative ‘‘radical youth work’’ based in shared risk and the transformative capacity of affect.